Eastern Promises

David Cronenberg has once again come out with an intriguing thriller a genuinely troubling and unsettling movie. You come out of it with a feeling of having been physically present in the story, not just an innocent spectator. The blood, pain and gore cling to you long after you have left the cinema hall.

In London, a 14-year-old bruised and bleeding teenager collapses at a hospital. Hospital midwife Anna (Naomi Watts) watches helplessly as the girl dies in childbirth. Besides the orphaned infant, she leaves behind a diary that chronicles her horrific exploitation and that may contain information about the identities of those responsible for it and her child. Anna is soon obsessed with identifying these vile beasts and turning them in, exposing her to considerable danger. She soon finds herself in the middle of an underground, underworld scam in human trafficking and is at once fascinated and repelled by it. Naive and vulnerable but hopelessly determined to find the men who let that young girl die, without actually knowing it, Anna is soon entangled with the Russian mob. Where does Anna's search take her? Does she free herself from the conniving villains who are now after her?

The movie is basically about the moral scandal of slavery, the traffic in human bodies and human misery that persists, in secret and in the shadows, even in the modern, cosmopolitan West. The brutality does not make you wince in disgust; it makes you writhe in pain.

Scripted by Steve Knight and directed by David Cronenberg, Eastern Promises is a routine thriller that has been deftly transformed into something that truly pierces your mind. Like Cronenberg's earlier movies History Of Violence, Spider, The Fly and Crash, here too, we are baffled by the ideas he presents to us and the way he has packaged them all. As in the case of his scripts for movies such as Dirty Pretty and Amazing Grace, Knight proves that he is clearly as interested in the social and ethical implications of the story as he is in its twists and reversals.

While Knight tugs at your heart, Cronenberg creeps under your skin. The result is a movie that will haunt and taunt you for a long time to come.

The Eye

Asian horror gets a facelift in Hollywood land! Starring Jessica Alba, The Eye is a remake of Jian Gui by Thai directors David and Oxid Pang. What the Pang brothers gave us was a lowly-lit, silent chiller; what David Moreau and Xavier Palud have spun for us is an eerie tale, packaged with a fair share of strobe lighting and spine-chilling effects.

Blind since the age of 5, Sydney Wells is eager as she is fascinated by the idea of a cornea transplant that will restore her sight. With the surgery over, Sydney prepares to see the world as everybody else does, but is instead faced with some rather horrifying and inexplicable encounters with the dead. She can not only see the normal world, she can also see beyond it! For Sydney, the world with all its colour and contour is a new experience and completely different from the one she sensed sightlessly. But before she gets used to her eyes, she is harassed and haunted by spirits. At last, she figures out that all these terrible experiences have to do with her eyes, so she sets about tracing her donor.

Jessica Alba is undeniably pretty and in supremely good shape. The movie has offered her not only scope to flaunt her lithe figure, but has also displayed her acting skills. As for the chills and thrills, the movie is full of them. When they begin to come, the scares make you shudder but as the movie proceeds, the background score gives you blaring notice of the ghosts to come! The Eye is a reasonably good attempt at scaring you out of your wits; A little more attention to detail and a tad more depth to Sydney's character would have given the movie a whole better feel.

Paranormal Activity

Hollywood movie Paranormal Activity is a supernatural thriller and has been made with a budget of $15,000. It has been getting rave reviews from many critics. Earlier, the movie had failed to get a distribution deal after screening at the Slamdance Festival in 2007. Now the word of mouth has encouraged the makers to promote it again.

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Paranormal Activity reminds us of the film The Blair Witch Project. Both the horror films deal with the supernatural and have been shot in a realistic documentary style. Paranormal Activity is far better than the other. The Blair Witch Project relied on gimmicks for scares whereas Paranormal Activity is based more on a primal fear that exists within us all.

Paranormal Activity is an underground sensation that has been taking the country by storm. This homemade horror movie makes the eyeballs of audiences have heart attacks. Director/writer Oren Peli sets his story in a plain, ordinary suburban house, but it gradually becomes a hellhole and pulls the rug out from under the notion of a safe haven. The movie has also a few humorous moments to break the awkwardness in it.

Once in awhile, Katie (Katie Featherston) has been haunted by a presence since her childhood days. When the movie begins she stays with her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) in old-fashioned horror house for 21 days and night. The visitations have come more frequently. Katie is scared while Micah is more excited and amused. He purchases a video camera in hopes of capturing the unexplainable. He gets more than he bargained for.

The night scenes and creaking doors are incredibly creepy. The movie has also lots of light humor, with the occasional intimation of weirdness. Featherston has given wonderful performance. And Katie also lends a few funny moments to the movie. The movie has rich production values that provide some special effects very convincingly.

The movie has a few drawbacks - there are a few scenes where they were obviously trying to explain what was going on, but it felt forced and dumbed down. The final scene is scary but it seems as though they run out of ideas and started scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Overall, Paranormal Activity is intelligent, realistic and genuinely hair-raising horror movie. It’s worth watching movie.

This Is It

It is seldom that biographies or back stage shots make into a great movie but in this case it is King of Pop Michael Jackson or just 'MJ' to his fans. His comeback concerts will surely go down as one of the greatest spectacles never seen. This Is It is named after the series of concerts that Michael left unfinished and it gives the viewers a chance to glance at what King of Pop was preparing for his 'Final Curtain Call'.

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Kenny Ortega who was also the director of Michael's concert shows for a moment makes us forget that the greatest popstar of his generation isn't alive. Come four months after his death it was made with such care that it doesn't like a quick montage of shots. The rehearsal footage is spectacular with some mesmerising songs and exuberant dancing. Perhaps, Michael in his sixth sense wanted to give his best before denying the world 50 comeback concerts.

The film opens with a short text introduction stating the purpose of the footage and its intent. After short dialogues from various dancers, Kenny talks the original concert opening sequence involving a body suit made from screens which display fast clips and images with bright intensity from which Jackson emerges on stage. Immediately after this, Jackson begins 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' first solo, and then half way in is joined by dancers.

It gets emotional when MJ sings 'I'll Be There' part of a medley of Jackson 5 songs. His 'Heal the World' shows the human side of the man who was at times demonised by tabloids. There is some high-tech stuff too especially when we come to Thriller where some green-screen visual effects that were created for the concert tour are showcased including a new 3-D collection of the Thriller. The presentation of 'Smooth Criminal' is even better.

Jackson looks a little frail just weeks before his death yet he keep up with dancers half his age. He is seen trying to perfect his moves which made him the greatest ever popstar he was. Kenny gives some funny moments to the movie attempting Michael's dance moves. The sweetest moment in the film comes when Jackson gives a genuine smile when he and his dancers perfect a dance step.

Although That Is It has a 112 minutes runtime it seems short as it is the last opportunity to watch the pop icon's last brush with music. This is It does have some genuinely touching moments. The audio of the movie is awesome and the movie is a winner in all technical aspects. The movie has a G rating and require parental guidance for nothing else but MJ's dance moves.

The movie works because Kenny also doesn't try to play with the sentiments of the viewers by making them cry over MJ's death. Nor does he cut any song in between to make it look like a documentary. That Is It doesn't try to deify Jackson or explain him it tries to celebrate the life of a man who entertained millions in his life time. The movie doesn't make any great revelations about the moments for which he became infamous. It is more like a live performance by MJ than a tribute to him.

The Twilight Saga

Let's get first things first New Moon is no match to its predecessor Twilight. But that doesn't make Chris Weitz directed movie bad. Robert Pattinson who has mesmerised his fans rises from the grave again to feast on blood and set teenage pulses racing in The Twilight Saga New Moon. The movie based on Stephenie Meyer's book comes with a stiff challenge to live up to the expectations after its Twilight had grossed more than $350 million at the Box Office.

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On her 18th birthday Isabella Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is on top of the moon when Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) the vampire she falls in love with and his family throw her a birthday party. While unwrapping a gift, she gets a paper cut, which causes Edward's adopted brother, Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), to be overwhelmed by the smell of her blood and attempt to kill Bella. To protect her, Edward decides to end their relationship, and the Cullens move away from Forks. This leaves Bella heart-broken and depressed.

In the months that follow, Bella learns that thrill-seeking activities,= such as motorcycle riding. This allows her to hear Edward's voice in her head. She also seeks comfort in her deepening friendship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a cheerful companion who eases her pain over losing Edward. Bella later discovers that Jacob is a werewolf. He and his fellow werewolves protect Bella from the vampires Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), the latter of whom seeks revenge for her dead mate, James, whom the Cullens killed in Twilight.

Communication gap leads Edward to believe that Bella has killed herself. Edward flees to Italy to provoke the Volturi, vampire royalty who are capable of killing him. Alice (Ashley Greene) and Bella rush to Italy to save Edward, arriving just in time to stop him. Before leaving Italy, the Volturi tell Edward that Bella, a human who knows that vampires exist, must either be killed or transformed into a vampire. Edward tells Bella that he has always loved her and left her only to protect her. She forgives him, and the Cullens vote in favour of Bella being transformed into a vampire. Edward gives Bella a choice to either change herself after her graduation he will change her himself.

New Moon effortlessly sweeps you along in a swirl of intoxicating passion. New Moon has one major flaw, being a supernatural adventure it seems to be packed with too much of romance. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart carry great performance from Twilight. The screenplay at times seems weak but can surely make patient characters stick to their seats.

The movie won't disappoint the majority of its teenage fans. But it is a let down for many Twilight fans who felt that Catherine Hardwicke who had directed the first flick had improved upon Stephenie Meyer's novel. New Moon doesn't seem to justify why Chris Weitz was chosen over Catherine Hardwicke. At 112 minutes of runtime New Moon seems ideal for a romantic tale of this sort. Although no comparison to Twilight, New Moon is certainly a movie worth spending a few bucks on.

2012 Review

Apocalyptic doom and cataclysmic disaster has been a favourite genre with Hollywood and the latest in the line is 2012. The movie Roland Emmerich directed movie is inspired by the idea of a global doomsday event coinciding with the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar's current cycle on or around December 21, 2012. The sub-plot of the movie is that amidst this environmental catastrophes all over the world, wiping out major cities and killing large portions of the population a broken family reunites.

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Roland Emmerich is no stranger to imagination and sci-fi after having made Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow. He seems to enjoy nothing more than seeing the most famous monuments toppled. Emmerich is a professional when it comes to showing massive destruction but he seems to have gone overboard with the destruction theory and destroyed his movie 2012. The initial devastation seems impressive but two hours of monotonous scenes seems unbearable.

Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a divorced father while his ex-wife Kate Curtis (Amanda Peet) and children live together with her new boyfriend, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy). At the Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala, the victims of a mass suicide seem to adhere to the Mayan calendar, which predicts the end of the world will coincide with a Galactic Alignment, which is to occur on December 21 of 2012, the date of the northern hemisphere's winter solstice.

The IHC (Institute for Human Continuity), a secret organization, has realized the situation and begins constructing vast arks beneath the Himalayan mountains designed to withstand most natural disasters in order to save both humanity, significant species, and the greatest treasures of mankind for when doomsday finally happens. There are arguments however about how and when the governments of the world will alert their fellow citizens and even discussions about how the remaining survivors will be selected to survive Armageddon.

The special effects have always been highlight of Emmerich's movies and 2012 isn't any exception. But the movie lacks a good screenplay and that is what separates it from blockbusters like Independence day and The Day After Tomorrow. Acting seems ordinary as the poor script takes away everything from the stars. John Cusack seems to be the only star who shines in the movie by delivering a brilliant performance.

The movie runtime of 158 minutes seems to be a shade longer for a movie which just is a montage of special effects. In the end 2012 is seems less interested in talking about the Mayan truth and more about its Box Office success. The hype that the movie has created around itself with the Mayan doomsday prediction is sure give it a huge opening. Roland Emmerich should have waited till 2012 and made a better movie or else should have waited till 2012 and spared the world from a headache.

The Road

John Hillcoat directed The Road is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. The plot of the movie revolves around a father and his son in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It is perhaps no irony that the movie hits the theatres just two weeks after the Roland Emmerich directed 2012 which talked about annihilation of the entire world. The Road talks about a world post nuclear annihilation scene taking us back to the days of the Cold War.

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John Hillcoat says a lot about the story in the opening shot with images of greenery, of flowers, of sunny days but all these are in the dreams of the Man. When he wakes up he finds reality too hard to believe. John Hillcoat portrays the human race in a post nuclear annihilation through the character of the Man. The introduction of the Boy is perhaps the most interesting and symbol of hope to mankind. The Boy brings in the optimism in the otherwise pitiful world.

An unnamed father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) walk alone through burned America. They struggle to survive after an unspecified apocalypse and make their way toward the coast for possible food, shelter, safety, or to potentially find other survivors of the cataclysmic events. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. They have just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless cannibalistic bands that stalk the road

Along the way, they encounter grave struggles and hardships across the barren landscapes, with scarce shelter and resources available to them, and having to avoid bands of cannibals and other desperate gangs looking to pillage valuables and food. Various flashback sequences occur where the Man remembers events prior to the catastrophe, many involving his deceased wife (Charlize Theron), who has a much more expanded role in the film than in the original book.

Viggo Mortensen amd Kodi Smit-McPhee deliver outstanding performance, Charlize Theron is good in her limited appearance in the movie. The Road can easily claim to be the grayest and brownest movie ever made. The movie is not overboard with VFX and John Hillcoat makes sure that the movies doesn't have too many loose ends. Hillcoat has certainly made worthy use of the $30 million incurred on The Road.

The Road is an awesome piece of cinema and truly great in every sense of the word. It is not outlandish like 2012 but tells the story in a more realistic way. It is not a pleasant movie but it surely makes the audience think. There is brutality in the movie but it is though provoking. The movie perhaps is a winner because it does not go the 2012 way and is a treat to watch. Its a must for all those who choose a good movie over expensive VFX.